Door-Nail Meat Pie
A thick round pan-fried pie the shape of a palace door stud, packed with juicy beef and spring onion.
How to eat it
Bite a small opening in the side first and let the hot juice run out or sip it; biting straight into the middle burns your mouth and sprays fat. Hold it with a piece of paper, not chopsticks.
The story behind the dish
The name comes from the rows of round brass studs on the great gates of the Forbidden City, which the pie is said to resemble. One story still told in Beijing says the Empress Dowager Cixi asked what the snack was called and, since nobody had a name ready, a courtier pointed at the door studs. Whatever its origin, it belongs to the halal snack tradition of the city's Hui community, which is why it is filled with beef rather than pork.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.